In the following discussion, the terms “activity” and “transaction” are used for illustrative purposes. In general, activities relate to automated or electronic interactions with hardware devices or software programs, such as accessing computer systems or online web sites. Transactions relate to automated or electronic transactions, such as personal data transactions or financial transactions such as payments, fund-transfers, fund withdrawals, deposits, changes to account information, etc. Also, the terms “entity,” “party,” or “user” are used for illustrative purposes. In general, entities, users or parties requiring executing transactions are human individuals.
An increasingly popular food and beverage vending arrangement involves the use of an automated device, such as a payment kiosk, that enables a user to pay for items that he has selected from a retail area or space without involving a human cashier of other attendant either assisting with the sales transaction or, perhaps, even monitoring the progress of such a transaction. However, such an unmonitored situation invites theft of the items selected from the retail space. Consequently, what is needed is an approach to this arrangement that discourages, if not prevents, such potential theft.